20/09/2026
Newcastle Labour condemns abuse directed at Council Leader Colin Ferguson
Newcastle Labour unequivocally condemns the personal and xenophobic abuse directed at Newcastle City Council Leader Colin Ferguson.
There is no place in our city’s politics for abuse targeting someone because of where they were born, where they come from or any other aspect of their background.
We will always challenge Colin and the Liberal Democrat administration robustly where we disagree with their decisions. That is an important part of a healthy democracy. But political disagreement must never be used as an excuse for personal abuse, intimidation, threats or prejudice.
We also know from experience that abuse directed at people in public life cannot simply be dismissed as words on social media. It can escalate into intimidation and threatening behaviour in the real world.
Former councillors in Newcastle have experienced abuse moving beyond social media, including attacks and criminal damage at their homes. Incidents like these have a profound impact not only on the individual targeted, but on their families and neighbours too.
That is why everyone involved in politics has a responsibility to challenge this behaviour whenever and wherever it occurs, regardless of party.
Political parties and elected representatives also have a responsibility to consider the language we use when debating and disagreeing with one another. Robust scrutiny and passionate political disagreement are essential to democracy, but we should all be careful that our words do not contribute to an atmosphere in which hostility, intimidation or abuse towards individuals is encouraged or normalised.
Councillor Ged Bell, Leader of the Newcastle Labour Group, said:
“On behalf of Newcastle Labour, I want to express our solidarity with Colin following the appalling abuse he has received.
“Colin and I are political opponents and there will be many occasions when we strongly disagree. But telling someone to ‘go back’ to where they were born, or attacking them because of their background, is completely unacceptable.
“We know only too well how quickly abuse can move beyond comments on a screen which is why none of us can afford to shrug this behaviour off as simply part of politics. Abuse should never be part of the price someone pays for putting themselves forward to serve their community.
“All political parties have a responsibility to speak out when this happens, regardless of whether the person being targeted is a colleague or a political opponent.
“Newcastle is proud to be a diverse, tolerant and welcoming city. Whatever our political differences, we should stand together when those values are challenged.
“There is far more that unites us as Geordies than divides us. Nobody who steps forward to serve our city, from any political party, should face abuse, threats or intimidation for doing so.”
